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Launch of Indigenous Kids and Schooling in the Northern Territory
by Imran Naved 2 April 2014
R
esearchers from Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education launched a landmark publication, ‘Indigenous Kids and Schooling in the Northern Territory: An introductory overview and brief history of Aboriginal Education in the Northern Territory’. Published by Batchelor Press, this book by Penny Lee, Lyn Fasoli, Lysbeth Ford, Peter Stephenson and Dennis McInerney offers both a historical overview of Indigenous education and new demographic information for better understanding this unique context of schooling. ‘Many Indigenous children start school in the Northern Territory unable to speak or understand the kind of English used at school,’ said co-author Lyn Fasoli during the launch of her new book at the AIATSIS National Indigenous Studies Conference. ‘At four or five years of age, they may not speak or understand any kind of English
at all and this situation continues through their school years and into adult training.’ ‘In our book, we make the case that these children deserve specialist English language teaching to get them started, just the same as routinely provided to migrant or refugee children.’ This latest book by Batchelor Press provides new perspectives on the current state of remote Indigenous education and is aimed not only at general readers but also education professionals and government and non-government organisations that work with Indigenous people in remote Indigenous communities. Dr Fasoli said the book was written with deep respect for Indigenous languages and cultures and their enormous value, not only for their speakers but also for Australia as a nation. ‘Educational practice and policies often acknowledge and assert the value of Indigenous languages and cultures but fail to give children and their families the respect they deserve for
Top: Aboriginal students in the NT Above: Book cover
maintaining their precious linguistic and cultural traditions,’ said Lyn Fasoli. ‘The approach we are advocating in this book is to first recognise Indigenous children’s fluency in their own languages or dialects, and from there, to support their English language proficiency with specialist teaching.’ Sold online through batchelorpress.com - price $38.00
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